Legendary
by TheProdigy90
Summary: Riley Cena dreams of being the greatest female wrestler of all time, Randy Orton desperately wishes he had the courage to step over the line of their friendship, and Chris Jericho might just sneak past first. RKO/OC/Y2J
1. Prologue

**LEGENDARY**

Summary - When Chris Jericho first met Riley Cena he knew that she had the potential to hold more then just women's gold. He didn't know that he would fall in love with her, or that she would break his heart, for above all people her best friend. Jericho/OC/Orton

Disclaimer – None of the following characters or situations are my own, save for Riley Cena, they otherwise remain the property of the WWE/WWF. This is an old story I am completely re-writing and the story-line has changed in certain parts.

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><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Her hands reached out desperately, grasping for the dangling gold as her legs quivered with exhaustion upon the towering ladder. This was it. Her moment. She couldn't believe it was happening.

Below her the ladder shook violently and as another body desperately began to pull itself up the rungs after her. Her outreached hand immediately slipped to steady herself, briefly brushing against her bruised ribs that ached from an unforgiving spear she had suffered earlier in the match.

She had been surprised to qualify for the triple threat ladder match for Edge's Intercontinental Championship in the first place. The match had originally been scheduled to take place between Edge and the number one contender, ironically her ex-boyfriend, Chris Jericho. However Vince McMahon had noticed the spike in the television ratings and the extra flow of money to his pockets when she had involved herself in their rivalry. Naturally McMahon could only change the stipulation.

Her eyes widened as Chris Jericho desperately pulled himself up to her level on the ladder, his eyes moving from hers to the hanging gold above their heads. She felt a slight twinge of relief, if there was one thing she had over him it was emotional influence. Edge however, she just could not crack.

Her voice was cracked, pleading and broken as she tried her luck. "Chris-"

His eyes blazed, furious and vengeful. "Don't play your innocent little girl games with me. I won't let you have this, not after what you have become associating yourself with that gang of pricks like a common whore."

Her jaw tightened. "I'm sorry that I loved him first."

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><p><em>What did you think?<em>


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

_Three years earlier (mid 2001)_

Riley Cena swallowed hard as she shuffled amongst the busy crowd of the airport, headed towards the collections lounge. She retrieved her phone from her pocket, re-reading her most recent text message.

_"Can't get out of a meeting. I've sent two of the guys to pick you up with a sign. Promise I will make up for it later."_

She inwardly swore, her brother was completely unreliable. She had never been to Kentucky in her life and here she was being collected from the airport by a pair of axe murderers for all she new.

While it had been two years since she made a desperate flee from West Newbury Massachusetts on a red eye to Texas with barely enough money to last a few days, she was still for the most part the same small town girl she had always been. Years ago she had grown tired on the box she had been manoeuvred into in her hometown, pigeonholed as "that Cena girl" that may have been the school captain in her final year but would more than likely marry young and pop out a few kids – because that's what was expected. Fearing the impending stereotype she had saved every dollar she could from her local supermarket job stacking shelves in an effort to take a risk.

She had read about the opening on the Texas Wrestling Academy founded by one of wrestling heroes, Shawn Michaels, in the paper over one of her brother's shoulders one morning at breakfast and had decided there was no other option. A few months later she had pulled enough money together and had paid her twin brother, Matt, nearly the same amount of drive her to the airport and keep his mouth shut.

The move to Texas was entirely out of her comfort zone. She had grown up with her parent's friend's children, surrounded by her brothers, she had been dependant on others for so long and the move was a shock to her system.

While she had no wrestling experience, somehow they had seen something in her try out for the Academy. Maybe it was the combination of her pure athleticism and the unbeatable competitiveness she had established through years of trying to stand out in a family of boys that were stronger, taller and louder than her, she wasn't sure but she had grabbed the opportunity by the horns.

She had given the academy everything and what felt like an eternity later Shawn Michaels himself had asked to speak to her after a particularly long training session. He had handed her a simple white envelope, smiling slightly, "I put in a good word to Vince himself. Welcome to the big league kid."

Her peers had been jealous naturally, but congratulatory eventually as she had packed her bags. The envelope had encompassed a short letter from Stephanie McMahon, congratulating her on her success and inviting her to transfer to Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville Kentucky. It was the official WWE development territory. Her second eldest brother John who she had not seen in far too long had signed a contract with them months before; it was a sweet relief to know she would have at least one familiar face.

As she entered the collections lounge she was greeted with the hustle and bustle of families and friends reuniting, and then through the crack of the crowd she caught site of two men standing together by the exit doors.

The first man was bulky, large and looked threatening. He held the scrap piece of paper with a strange amount of aggression as he angrily eyed some kids that pointed at him giggling. Beside him a much younger man, who resembled someone she couldn't quite place and was probably the same age as herself, leaned lazily on the glass window, flashing a pearly grin at what Riley could only describe as a "MILF" as she passed.

Great, her brother had sent a pair of buffoons to pick her up.

Inwardly groaning she pushed her trolley forward, weaving towards the crowd towards them.

They didn't even register her arrival, not even when she pulled her luggage to a stop a few feet in front of them awkwardly. "Uh, hello."

The larger of the two men gave her a quick look up and down, recognition sparking in her eyes clearly recognising the resemblance between her brother and herself.

The taller and younger of the two men pulled his eyes almost painfully away from the woman he had been eyeing to her. "Holy-"

"I don't think she was really interested," she forced out, attempting to break the awkward moment.

The younger man shook his head quickly, clearing his throat. "Sorry, who?"

Raising an eyebrow she motioned to the older woman who was now helping her rowdy children into a cab, "the MILF?"

The other man laughed, crumbling up the piece of paper and stuffing it into one of his pockets before stretching out a hand to shake hers, "you must be Riley," he said shaking her hand. "Dave Bautista and this is Randy Orton."

Recognition immediately sparked, "oh, Orton, that's why your face looked familiar!"

"Your face is disturbing."

She froze the pit of her stomach immediately.

What a jerk.

Dave looked taken aback as he scowled at his friend disapprovingly, "that's a bit harsh man."

"What, I mean – fuck," Randy swore, realising he had dug himself an almighty hole. "Dave can't you see it, it's a hot female version of John. It's freaking me out."

"So now I'm an 'it'?" she asked mortified. "Congratulations, you may just be the rudest friend of John's I've met yet."

Dave laughed loudly, "Sorry about him, he doesn't usually act like this, especially not around girls. Let's get your stuff to the car, I promised your brother we would get you back to the house safe and sound."

Dave, clearly the more gentlemanly of the two, proceeded to push her trolley out of the airport and into the parking lot, while Randy walked awkwardly beside him. Riley lagged behind the pair feeling anything but at ease, while Dave seemed nice enough she wasn't overly convinced about his friend.

As she fiddled with her phone awkwardly she noticed Randy lean in towards Dave as they crossed the road and entered the parking lot. "I can't believe she's moving in with us. We can say goodbye to walking around in our underwear."

Riley groaned. What had John dragged her in to?


End file.
